Children In Poverty In The Industrialized World

At least 3.5 million children live in poverty in the UK. It’s one of the worst rates in the industrialized world and successive governments continue to struggle to bring it under control. Poor Kids offers 4 children the chance to share their insights on life on the bottom rung of society’s ladder. It is very moving, interesting, and tragic. Courtney (8), Paige (10), Sam (11), and his sister Kayleigh (16) take us into their lives and show us the sad reality of what growing up in Britain below the poverty line is like. Breathtakingly honest and eloquent they give testament to how having no money affects their lives: lack of food, being bullied, and even having nowhere to play. The children might be indignant about their situation now, but this may not be enough to help them; any thoughts they had of the future are sobering. Sam’s 16 year old sister Kayleigh puts it all into context and we learn how the effects of poverty led her to take extreme measures to try and escape it all.
They run over the half broken boards and find it fun to throw rubble into a hole on the floor. Courtney’s unemployed single mom doesn’t only struggle buying them toys to play with. Putting two meals on the table is often a struggle, forcing the kids to go hungry in the summer and on holidays. The family has never had a holiday all together and birthdays are almost impossible, as is buying new clothes for the girls to wear. On top of everything else, Courtney suffers from extreme eczema, which flares up when she is extremely upset and stressed. Heartbreakingly frank, but never self pitying 8-year old Courtney says how she sees her future: “I’m gonna find it hard, I don’t wanna grow